kidney cancer

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kinslee
kinslee Member Posts: 1 Member
edited September 2023 in Kidney Cancer #1

I am so scared. There is a cyst on my kidney. Have had an mri and ct...They are suggesvine of renal cell..I do not have a support system or anyone to talk to. My husband passed in 2011..Dont know what next step is they will take...

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  • eug91
    eug91 Member Posts: 471 Member
    #2
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    Hi Kinslee,

    I'm sorry you had to join this forum, but I'm glad you found us. We've been through what you're going through, so we know you're going to do great. We're here for you if you have questions or concerns or just need to vent.

    It's not easy to hear the "c" word. Once you get over the initial shock, you can focus on beating it. Three bits of advice for you-

    -Take notes at your doctor's visits. Bring a notebook to write down answers - or use the notes app on your smartphone. The information is going to come quickly, so jot it all down so you can review it later.

    -Beware Dr. Google. Take any information you get on the internet with a grain of salt. With the rapid advances in cancer treatment, much of the info out there is out-of-date. If you have any questions/doubts, check with your doctor.

    -It's impossible to think clearly at the beginning, but hopefully after a few days you've thought of your support system - friends or family or acquaintances/co-workers - who can assist you. And if you have questions, we're here.

    You can do this - you've got this!

  • jazzgirl
    jazzgirl Member Posts: 240 Member
    #3
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    Hi kinslee, I agree as always with everything eug says. Do you have a next appointment? Try to find someone to be with you to help you listen and remember. Ask you doctor or hospital for suggestions - in some place there are nurses you can hire to attend an appointment with you to help keep track and explain information. When I was in line for surgery, there was also a nurse assigned to be a liaison between me and the surgeon - she was very patient with my questions, mostly done through mychart. I'm so glad you found this site - please keep checking in, updating, and asking questions. Take care ~

  • Yogeshvara
    Yogeshvara Member Posts: 1 *
    #4
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    Hi Kinslee,

    i'm curious how old you are and how large the cyst is. Kidney cancer can take years to cause any trouble. My 1 cm mass never bothered me at all but being 63 and otherwise healthy I had it removed. My sister was 70 when her 6 cm mass was discovered. It also never bothered her in the 5 or 6 years it was likely growing inside her. 2 years later she still has no symptoms but, unfortunately, they are now seeing what looks like mets in her lungs. They are testing now to figure out how to proceed. I hope your mass is under 3 cm since they rarely metastasize nor even have local spread. As the tumor gets larger the chances while small, still go up. My partial nephrectomy and my sisters complete one while unpleasant, were done quickly and recovery was also only a month or two. My doc does many of these each year and has very few bad situations arise from surgery. Hopefully that is all you will need, if it even seems necessary. Maybe you can get away with watchful waiting if it is very small. Good luck and keep asking questions, especially of your doctor.

    Peace,

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